Improvement in trusses



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES WESLEY THOMPSON, OF BATAVIA, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN TRUSSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 56,831, dated July 31, 1866.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES WESLEY THOMPSON, of Batavia, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Trusses 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompa nying drawings, forming part of this specilication, in which- Figure l is an elevationvof a truss made according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a side or edge view thereof.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This improvement consists, among other things, in making the pad in two distinct pieces of wood or other material placed side by side, so that their action in holding a hernia is like that of two lingers of the hand.

It consists, further, in the manner of attach-v ing the pad to the lever which holds it.

It consists. also, in the manner of adjusting the angle of the pad with relation to the spring or band of the truss.

The letterA designates the pad. It is composed of two ovoidal-shaped parts, a I), placed parallel with each other and connected by pivots to a metallic plate, B, on which they are allowed to oscillate slightly, the extent of their oscillations about their pivots being limited by their contact with each other. Their oscillations on their pivots are in a plane parallel with the plate B. The plate B is connected to a lever, C, by a pivot or screw, on which it is free to rotate with the pad. This lever consists of a flat piece of metal of considerable strength, which is hinged on the end of the spring E of the truss in such a manner as thatthe lever stands at a right angle with the end of the spring. The spring E is covered with leather or other suitable material.

From the outer side of the lever, near its hinged end, rises an arm, D, curved concentrically with the axis of the hinge, which itV partly surrounds at a little distance. This arm has a screw-thread cut on it, and it has also a nut, F. The upper end of the arm of the lever, and by turning the nut toward the end of the arm the lever and its pad are forced against the body of the patient. The

covering of the spring E is' extended beneath the hinge so as to interpose a soft material betweenthe hinge and the body of the patient.

The pad can be easily changed to form a rightside or a left-side truss by changing the curved arm to one side or the other of the lever O and changing the pad to the opposite side, it being necessary that the pad be on the opposite side of the lever from that occupied by the arm. This capacity of using the truss for either the left or right -side is a great advantage.

A pad composed of a single piece of wood may be attached to the lever C `by securing such piece to the plate B by a pivot, on which it may revolve in a plane parallel with the face ofthe lever.

If desired, the fastening that connects the plate B and lever C may be rigid, so as to prer vent rotary motion of the plate.

forth. 2. The screw-threaded curved .arm D, passing through a guide and stop, Gr, and havi a nut, F, thereon, substantially as deseri ed.

cHAELEs w. THloMrsN. Witnesses:

W. J. WHITNEY, E. lJ. PARKER. 

